Image source: Getty Images Last Wednesday, I finally did something I’d been mulling for months, selling my shares in defensive UK stock Unilever (LSE: ULVR). The FTSE 100-listed consumer goods giant had been squatting in my Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) for several years without generating much excitement. Suddenly, I’d had enough. Unilever shares have actually done well over the last 12 months, rising 17%, but longer-term performance has been underwhelming. Over five years, they’re up just 10%. That’s hardly thrilling for a company of its size and reputation. The consumer goods giant’s sprawling operations had led to a lack of…
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Image source: Getty Images A Stocks and Shares ISA has some big tax benefits for investors. But there’s only one week left to add money and any contribution room that hasn’t been used can’t be carried forward. That’s not a long time, but investors still need to be careful. There are still some important mistakes that it’s important to try and avoid even though time is running out. Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only.…
GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Galveston council members are demanding change after a new audit found park board employees broke policies.Galveston’s Seawolf Park offers a place to fish, explore a naval ship and submarine, and enjoy water views. It is a popular spot not just to visit but also to book events and festivities that use private vendors. Usually, that’s not a problem for city leaders.It was, though, on Thursday. During a Galveston workshop meeting, the council learned the person in charge of selecting events was also using their private business at some of them.He told the auditor it was just…
In November 2023, Jack Ma posted an internal memo at Alibaba, urging the e-commerce giant he helped create to “correct its course.” The message was as a rallying cry by one of China’s most prominent tech leaders to a company going through one of the most tumultuous times in its history.Alibaba’s share price was near record lows, growth was stalling amid intensifying competition, management changes were coming thick and fast, and Beijing was still closely scrutinizing the company. Ma himself was barely in the public view.But his message may have instilled some new hope in Alibaba — the e-commerce giant…
Image source: Getty Images As we approach the new 2025-26 ISA year, it’s time for newcomers and savvy investors alike to prepare their strategies. Let’s explore how investors can get ahead. The basics First, investors should ensure they’ve used as much of their £20,000 ISA allowance for the 2024-25 tax year as possible. Remember, the Junior ISA, for those of us with kids, has a maximum annual contribution of £9,000. Moreover, this transition period presents an excellent opportunity to review existing investments. Investors should assess whether their current portfolio aligns with their goals and risk tolerance. Rebalancing might be necessary,…
[content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSE:OXY] Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE: OXY) is primarily recognized in the energy sector as a leading international oil and gas producer. It’s notably been a growing position for the Oracle of Omaha as Berkshire Hathaway Co. (NYSE: BRK.B) raised its stake to 28% of the company in February 2025. What is not so well known is Occidental Petroleum’s ambitions to become a leading player in the decarbonization movement, enabling itself and others to reach net-zero levels.This goal is not just to get the green theme but to generate another source of revenue to offset some of the volatility of oil prices.…
(Bloomberg) — India announced a borrowing plan for the first half of the fiscal year that’s lower than market expectations. Most Read from Bloomberg The government plans to sell eight trillion rupees ($93.2 billion) of bonds in the six months to September, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement after trading ended on Thursday. That’s lower than the 8.4 trillion rupees estimated in a Bloomberg News survey. Indian bonds may react positively to lower borrowings and help extend this year’s gains, driven by growing bets of a cut in interest rates at the Reserve Bank of India’s policy review…
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with global executives on Friday, March 28, 2025.CNBC | Evelyn ChengBEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met with global executives and made a case for investing in the country, as Beijing focuses on reaching out to businesses amid escalating trade tensions with the U.S.He said multinational companies had a big responsibility to “uphold global order” and that they needed to work hand in hand with China.Xi emphasized that China was a safe and stable place for foreign companies. “To invest in China is to invest in tomorrow,” he said in Mandarin translated by CNBC. Echoing recent…
Image source: Getty Images The S&P 500’s recent volatility reflects several things, many of them connected. The index has shed 10% since mid-February 2025, driven primarily by President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies. His March 2025 decision to impose 20% tariffs on Chinese imports and levies on Canadian goods triggered a $4trn market value wipeout. More tariffs will be announced next week. These protectionist measures have heightened fears of a global trade war, and the S&P 500 briefly erased all post-November 2024 gains. At the time of writing (26 March), we’ve seen a small rally. However, the stocks are still cheaper…
(Reuters) – BlackRock has launched its first model portfolio blending private and publicly traded assets, it said on Wednesday, as it looks to expand its footprint in the lucrative private market landscape. Model portfolios are blueprints that financial advisers use to manage their clients’ investments. Tailored for a variety of risk tolerances and goals, they can help advisers save time and costs they would otherwise have spent on building portfolios from scratch. Adding private assets to these portfolios, which typically consist of stocks and bonds, could help BlackRock tap a broader investor base. The move aligns with the asset manager’s…